YIVO Hosts Festival and Conference Dedicated to the Cultural Achievementsof Ex-Orthodox Jews
(New York, NY) – There is a widespread fascination with stories about leaving the Orthodox Jewish community. But what happens after this often-traumatic break? On September 15-16, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research will host After Orthodoxy: Cultural Creativity and the Break with Tradition, a conference and festival organized by “Off the Derech” (OTD) Jews (off the Orthodox path) and allies who have exited other strict religious communities.
The two-day event will feature yeshiva rebels, Bais Yaakov girls gone bad, Hasidic heretics, and other formerly Orthodox Jewish scholars, activists, performers, and artists, as we celebrate the achievements that emerged from their break with tradition.
The festival and conference, organized by Zalman Newfield (Hunter College) and Naomi Seidman (University of Toronto), will feature performances, presentations, and panel discussions on the challenges and opportunities of leading a meaningful life “after Orthodoxy.” What do formerly Orthodox Jews have to offer the new communities they joined, the communities they left behind, and the larger world? What resources do OTD artists and performers draw from their Orthodox upbringings? How have ex-Hasidic activists changed the communities in which they were raised? And how do these challenges and opportunities resonate among those who left other strict or insular religious groups?
Seidman, who left a Hasidic community (and Brooklyn) decades ago, describes this event as a long-delayed dream of finding a community of like-minded scholars and artists. “I didn’t even know the term OTD until a few years ago, and my interactions with OTD people have been almost entirely online.” She can’t wait to meet fellow OTD scholars, watch OTD films, and hear from OTD rabbis and activists.
Newfield, who appears in Seidman’s 2022 podcast “Heretic in the House,” is eager to share his ongoing research on the OTD experience and to explore what can be done for others that exit by those who have found a foothold in the secular world. As he says, “The population of the ex-Orthodox is growing, and it is exciting to organize an event that highlights its accomplishments and thoughtfully considers its future.”
The organizers are particularly excited about the pairing of an academic conference with a festival (to be held on the evening of September 15th). The festival of OTD music, film, and performances features the actor Luzer Twersky as MC; “Castles in the Air,” a new film by Pearl Gluck; musical performances and comedy by Basya Schechter, Riki Rose, Yirmiyahu Aaron Taub, Melissa Weisz, and Michael Wex; and the bestowing of the inaugural “Righteous Frum Person Award.” There will be exhibition space for OTD art, historical zines, and other OTD cultural artifacts.
The conference and festival (with reception) are free and open to the general public.
The conference is co-sponsored by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, University of Toronto, the Jewish Studies Center at Hunter College, Footsteps, and Hillel (Israel). Supported in part by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
What: After Orthodoxy: Cultural Creativity and the Break with Tradition
When: Sunday, September 15, 2024| 9:00am – 10:00pm ET Monday, September 16, 2024 | 10:00am – 1:30pm ET
Where: Taking place live on Zoom and in person at YIVO Located in the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011)
Cost: Free
Reservations Available at: yivo.org/After-Orthodoxy
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
For more information contact:
Shelly Freeman
Chief of Staff
YIVO
The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide. For nearly a century, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression. Our public programs and exhibitions, as well as online and on-site courses, extend our outreach to a global community. The YIVO Archives contains 24 million unique items and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for the study of East European Jewish life in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story